Trolley-aligning harp



S. S. MATTHES.

TROLLEY ALIGNING HARP.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. a, 19 21.

Patented July 25, 1922.

SAMUEL S. MATTHEfiOF Mi'hNSFIELD, OHIO, ASSIGNOR- TO THE OI-IIO BRASS COMPANY, OF MANSFIELD, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

TROLLEY-ALIGHING HARP.

Application filed September T 0 a-ZZ whom/it may concern.

Be it known that I, SAMUEL El ltthxrrrrns a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Mansfield, in the county of Richland and State of ()hio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trolley-Aligning Harps, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an electric current collector and has particular application to so-called aligning harps in which it is desired to maintain the collecting element under normal conditions in alincment with the axis of the pole.

In the drawings accompanying this specification:-

Fig. 1 shows a side view of my invention.

Fig. 2 shows a invention.

Fig. 3 shows a sectional view of the aligning elements on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 shows a sectional view of the aligning parts on the line AA Fig. 2 when the collector wheel is turned out of alinement in the direction L.

Fig. 5 shows a sectional view of the aligning parts on the line AA when the collector wheel and parts are in normal alined position.

l ig. 6 shows a sectional view of the aligning parts on the line A-A Fig. 2 when the collector wheel is turned out of alinement in the direction It.

In my preferred construction .I provide a body member l having a socket 2 to re ceive a pole as is the usual construction.

Secured to the body member is a table3 and a barrel 4. The barrel is provided with a channel 5 having an enlarged chamber 6. Within the chamber 6 is a rib '7 shown as integral with the wall of the chamber. The lower end of the chamber is open.

The harp 8 is arranged to receive a wheel,

9 mounted on a spindle 10. Secured to the lower part of the harp is a stem 11 arranged to rotate with the harp and located in and extending through thechambers 5 and 6. To the lower end of the stem 11 issecured an eye member 12 attached by means of screw threads, pin, etc. and which'maintains the parts in assembled relation and to which a rope may be attached for placing the device on a trolley wire from the ground.

The self aligning mechanism comprises front end view of myv Specification of Letters Patent. Pgtagntefl July 25, 19223.

a sleeve 13 secured to and rotating with the harp 8 and stem 11 by means of the key let engaging with the slot in the stem 11. At each end of the sleeve 13 are slots 15 and 15 extending part way around the sleeve in opposite directions from a common line. Mounted on the stem 11 above and below the sleeve 13 and free to rotate relative to and slide longitudinal oi the stem are collars 16 and 16. .The collars are provided with knobs 17 and 17 projecting into the slots 15 and 15respectively and arranged to normally engage with one wall of the slot as shown in Fig. 5. Each collar is also provided with a stop 18 and 18 respectively which normally engage the rib '1 one on each side of the rib and holds the collars against rotation in one direction. The spring 19 has its ends engaging the knobs 1'7 and 17 under torsional stress which tends to hole the stops 18 and 18 on the collars normally against the rib 7 and againstrotation in one direction but permits rotation of each collar in the opposite direction. The spring also pressing upwardly and downwardly on the parts 16-16 tends to hold the harp 8 against the table 3 for obvious electrical reasons.

The operation of my invention is as follows :Referring to Fig. 5 the parts are shown in normal alin'ed position with the wheel in line with the pole 20. The stops 18-18 on the collars 16 and 16 respec tively are in engagement with the rib 7 under tension of the spring 19 and the knobs 17 and 17 are in engagement with the end walls of the slots 15 and 15 respectively on the collar 13 thus holding the collar and sleeve 11 which are keyed together in a normal alined position.

If the wheel is rotated in the direction L. the harp and stud will rotate likewise and also the sleeve 13 which in turn will rotat, the collar 16 through the medium of the knob 17, (see Fig. 4) and the spring will tend to rotate likewise on account of its upper end engaging the knob 17, but since tion It, the function of the parts are reversed from that described above and as shown in Fig. 6 and the parts will be rotated back to normal alinemcnt whenthe pressure rotating the wheel in the direction R is released.

Having illustrated and described my i11- vention, I claim- 1. An aligning collector comprising a body member provided with a recess and chamber, a harp comprising a pair of pro.- jecting arms to receive a contactor and a projecting stem to rotate. with the harp and extending into and through the recess and chamber, a rib in the chamber, a sleeve mounted on the stem and within the chamher and arranged to. rotate with the stem.

and having a shoulder at each end oppositely. disposed from a line parallel to the axis of the sleeve, a pair of collars mounted to rotate on the sleeve and within thechamher. and disposed one at each end ot' the sleeve and each collar provided with alug to engage the adjacent shoulder on the sleeveand a lug to engage. the rib in thechamber to prevent rotation of each collar 111 one direction but such direction being opposite in the case of the two collars; a spring mountedin the chamber surrounding the sleeve and positioned between the. collars and having the ends hear. one againstv each;

of the first mentioned lugs on thecollars to rotate the collars in. opposite direction and the second named lugs on the collars into engagement with the rib to aline the harp and simultaneously acting to spread the collars apart, and. a memberon the lower endot' the stem to )revent these a ration oi the collars, and maintain the parts in proper relation andagainst separation.

An aligning collector comprising a body member for attachment to a support, a member comprising meansfor mounting collector. and a stem for mounting the member on the body, means on the stem to'ro-- An aligning collector. comprising a bodymember for. attachmenttoa support, a memberprovided with a stemnon-rotatably secured to the member and rotatably mounted in. relationto the body, .a helical spring surrounding the stem, and meansrotatably mounted. on the stem and engaging one endof the spring tending, to tension the springwhen the stem is rotated in one di reetion to lncreaseits torsionalE strain and means to engage the other end of the spring to prevent its rotation, all tending to maintain the stem and attached member in normal position.

4. An aligning collector comprising a body member for attachment to a support, a member provided with a stem arranged to rotate with the member and rotatably mounted in relation-to the body, a helical spring surrounding the stem, means rotatably mounted on the stem and engaging one end of the spring tending to increase the torsional strain of the spring when the stem is rotated in one direction, means engaging, the other end of the spring to hold it against rotation, means rotatably mounted on the stem to engage the last mentioned spring end. to increase the torsional strain in the springwhen the stem is rotated in the other direction, means to engage the first mentioned springendto prevent its rotation by the-last .mentioned means, and means mountedon the stem to engage the rotatable means to move them alternately in opposite directions.-

5. An aligning device comprisinga body member for attachment to a support, a member provided with a collector and a stem to rotate with the member and rotatablv mounted in relation to the bodymember. a

coil spring surrounding thestem, mecha-:

nism acting to rotateone end of the spring in one direction to increase its torsional-i strain. andyto prevent the rotation .of the spring end in theothcr direction when; the stem isrotated in the other directionand mechanism acting on the otherend of the spring sinuiltaneously andin likemanner as on; the-above mechanism but in reverse order of operation. I

6. An aligning collector comprisingabody .member for attachmentto asupport, a

member providedwith acollecton and a stemto rotate with the member androtatably mounted in relation to the body memher and mechanisinteiuling to. maintain the member in a normalor predetermined alined relation with the body member at all times but permittingthe member torotate to either side of the normal under stress, said' mechanism comprising a resilient member under torsional strain and-means rotatably mounted on the stem and actinggon one end of the resilient member to increase the-torsional strain when the stem and attached member. are rotated 1 in one direction and means rotatably mounted on the stem-and acting on the other end of the resilient memher to increase the torsional strainswhenthe. stem and attached member are rotated-iin the opposite direction. i

7. An. aligning collector comprisinga body member for attachment to a support, a member provided with a collector and'a stem to rotate-with thememberand rotatably l mounted inrelation to the bodymember and mechanism for normally maintaining the harp in a predetermined alined position but permitting rotation in either direction from the normal under stress, said mechanism comprising a resilientmeans having one end held against rotation in one direction and the other end held against rotation in the other direction when the stem and attached member are rotated in the above mentioned directions respectively, said rotation in either direction increasing the strain in the resilient means and tending to rotate the stem and attached member back to normal when stress tending to rotate the stem and member from normal is removed.

8. An aligning collector comprising a body member for attachment to a support, a member provided with a collector and a stem to rotate with the harp and rotatably mountedin relation to the body member and mechanism for yieldingly holding the stem and member in a normal or alined position comprising resilient means under strain to normally maintain the stem and member in alined position, means slidably mounted on the stem acting on one end of the resilient means to increase the strain therein and means acting on the other end to increase the tension therein when the stem and member are rotated in opposite directions thereby returning the member to normal posi: tion.

9. An aligning collector comprising a body member for attachment to a support, a member provided with a collector and'a stem to rotate with the member and rotatably mounted in relation to the body, a spring having both ends acting upon "the stem to maintain the stem and member in a normally alined position, means rotatably mounted on the stem to act on one end of the spring to increase the tension in the spring when the stem and member are rotated in that direction and acting on the other end of the spring to increase the tension therein when the stem and member are rotated in the other direction.

10. An aligning collector comprising a body member for attachment to a support, a member provided with a collector and a stem to rotate with the member and rotatably mounted in relation to the body member and mechanism for yieldingly holding the stem and members in predetermined alinement comprising a coiled spring, rotatable means mounted on the stem to rotate one end 01": the spring in one direction and to rotate the other end in the opposite direc tion and means interposed between said rotatable means on the stem and the body member to hold said rotatable means and each end of the spring against rotation in the direction opposite to rotation mentioned above.

11. An aligning collector comprising a body member for attachmentto a support, a

member provided. with a collector and a mined alinement but permitting the stem and member to rotate in either direction from alinement comprising a coiled spring, means coacting with the coiled spring and the body and the stem whereby the torsional strain in the spring is increased when the stem is rotated in either direction under stress and whereby the stem is returned to its alined position when the stress is removed.

12. An aligning collector comprising a body member for attachment to a support, a member provided with a collector and a stem to rotate with the member and rota tably mounted in relation to the body memher and mechanism for yieldingly holding the stem and member in predetermined alinement comprising a resilient member normally under tension and means coacting with the resilient member and the stem and the body acting whereby the tension in the spring is increased when the stem is rotated in either direction and whereby the increased tension is made to react in the opposite direction to return the stem to its alined position.

13. An aligning device comprising a body member for attachment to a support, a member provided with a collector and a stem to rotate with the member, a coiled spring having its ends arranged to rotate in opposite directions at alternate times when the stem is rotated in alternate directions, and means rotatably mounted on the stem to rotate the opposite ends of the spring alternatively in opposite directions and hold the spring ends against rotation alternatively with the above rotations of the spring ends.

14-. An aligning collector comprising a body member for attachment to a support, a member provided with a collector and se curing means to rotate with the member and mounted in rotatable relation on the body member, a yielding member acting to maintain the member and body member in engagement and in a predetermined position oi": alinement relative to each other, and means interposed between each end of the yielding member and the member acting to rotate one end of the yielding member in one direction and to rotate the other end of the yielding member in the other direction and to rotate the member back to normal under the stress of the yielding member.

15. An aligning device comprising a body member, a rotating member carried thereby and provided with a collector, a helical spring acting to maintain the body and rotating member in a predetermined alined relation-while permittingthe' parts to be moved out of ahnement, means rotatably mounted on-the rotating memberand inter= posed between the sprlngand rotating mem her and means on the rotating "member and (:oacting with the rotatably' mounted means whereby the torsional straln lnthe spring is increased When the rotating member 13 moved in either direction fronralinement thereby actmg'to move-the'parts back into aliiiement. I

16. A current collecting-device compr1sing a body member; a pivotally mounted member carrled thereby and provided Wlth' a collecting member; and a helical spring acting to maintain the body member and-the pivotally mounted member 'v a predeter mined al'ined relation and simultaneously urging anchmaintaining the body and piv otally mounted member in engagement.'

17; An aligning device'comprisinga body member, a pivotally mounted member carried thereby and provided'with a stem" and" collecting member, a spring acting to maintain the body member and pivotallymounted member in a predetermined alined' rela tion and having one end'held against move ment in one direction; means rotatably' monntedon the stem andengaging the other end of the spring acting-totension the of either spring end in one"direetion"and the rotation of the other spring end in the oppos1ted1rect1on and means on the stem coacting with the rotatably 'mounted" means thereon for transmitting motion to the stem from the" spring and transmitting motion to the spring from the stem;

In testimony whereof I afiix mysignature;

SABIUEL S9 MATTHES double acting 

